Shepherd

1. Shepherd Anna Goike -Cleveland, OH placement

2. Hello (about Me) • Just a littleabout me. My nameis Anna Goike and I am a BiologicalSciences major, Class of 2015 • In Junior year, I picked up the PovertyStudies Minor, whichopened, for me, new ways of thinking and freshperspectives • Throughmyinterestssparked in the program, I pursued 2 differentsummerexperiences, an SSLP (Summer Service Learning Project) and the ShepherdInternship. • I wouldlike to tellyouspecificallyabout the Shepherdprogram, butalsoaboutmy SSLP and howmyexperiencesimpactedoneanother

3. So, What Is the Shepherd program? • The Shepherd Consortium is a collection of nationally accredited Universities (Notre Dame among them) that possess poverty-focused courses of study • The goal of the consortium is to foster networking and collaboration between these Universities’ students • This ultimately aims to create a national network of people in varied professions, dedicated to bettering the lives of those in poverty

4. The internship • The internship begins with an opening conference at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA • Here, the interns participate in lectures and discussions that prime them for immersion working with and living in poverty • Following this, the interns travel to their agency placement • Selection for placement is performed earlier by Washington & Lee faculty, catering to the intern’s specific interests and strengths • After the 8 week placement, the interns return to W&L for a closing conference • Here, each intern presents their experience from the summer through panel style presentation and discussion

5. The internship • During the 8 weeks, the interns live on a stipend of $14/day for transportation and food expenses • The interns live in provided housing and work at their placement for the full 8 weeks • Placements are nationwide and cover a multitude of agency types and range of interests • Homelessness • Healthcare • Mental Health • Economic Development • Migrant Services • Policy Reform • Youth Outreach • Job Placement • And More

6. My experience • My placementwasdeveloped (new thisyear) to study and approachdrugaddiction from severalviews: physical, psychosocial, and legal. • My site partner and I rotatedbetween an infectiousdiseaseunitat the Cleveland Clinic, a detox center atLutheran Hospital, and the drug court of Cuyahoga County, Ohio • Weshadowedaswellascompleted data compilation • At each of theseagencies, wehad a professionalmentor • ID unit = Dr. Englund, ID specialist • Luthern = Dr. Jason Jerry, Psychiatristspecializing in MAT (MedicationAsisstedTherapy) • Drug Court = Judge David Matia, Judgeassociated with drug court • Eachdaywasdifferentaswewereat the Drug Court 2 times a week and with the otherdoctors once each, respectively • Additionally, weusedMonday to explore more specificinterestswehadconcerningdrugaddiction • Wevisited a needleexchange van, a Naloxone training session, and a director of a free clinic

7. My Experience (con’t) • Personally, I was with the JudgeTuesdays and Thursdays, with Dr. Jerry Wednesdays, and with Dr. EnglundFridays • At the Detox center, weprimarilyshadowedduringintake and daily sessions butalsosat with the Doctoras he performed routine, out-patientmaintenence sessions • Thisgaveus a detailed look intohow the addictedpersonbecameaddictedaswellaswhytheysought help • With the judgeweworkedon a mapcompiling the locations of treatment centers and sober-living locations • Wealsosat in Drug Court listening to the participantsspeak of theircurrentrecoveryjournies and progress • Here, wecollectedupdated information on eachparticipant • Thisallowedus to view the legalrepercussions of addiction. Italsogaveusinsightinto the greatburden of addiction and how difficult it is to beat it, especially when lacking any resources

8. My Experience (con’t) • In the InfectiousDisease Unit, wejoined Dr. Englund in her regular ID roundsaswellassawher HIV patients • Seeing the extremesthatpeoplepushtheirbodies to taughtusabout the seriousness of mentalillness (drugaddiction) • Meeting the HIV patientsalsounveiled the societalstereotypesthatremainagainstdrugusers • Thisbiascontributes to the difficulty in findingaidwhen a userwishes to becomeclean • Through the 3 placements, wewereable to view the beginningthrough end of addictionaswellaslegal and social portions • Itwasespeciallyeye-opening to witnessprofessionalopinions of drugabusers from entirelydifferentprofessions

9. What i Learned • Drugaddictionis a disease! Whilemany in society viewitas a choice, drugaddictionis a mentalillnessthatrequiresprofessional help in addition to internalmotivation • Itaffectspeople of allsocioeconomiclevels, butplays a large role in the cycle of povertyaswellas forcing some intopoverty • Treatment for drugaddictioniscostly and requiresresourcesthat are difficult to access for those in poverty (time off work, readilyavailabletransportation, etc) • Thisadds to a more difficultrecovery, lending to a higher rate of relapse

10. What I Learned (con’t) • While the ACA helpedinsure more people, thereisstill a large group of peoplewhoremainuninsured • Thisis due in part to ineligibilitybutalso to a lack of awareness for how to becomeinsured • Thisimpedes a healthcareprovider’sability to givequality care • Thisinternshipreallyshowed me howlacking the healthcaresystemis, in concern to fullyserving the poor • Italsogave me a comprehensive look atdrugaddiction from multiple perspectives • The culmination of theseperspectivesdisplayedthat the disease of addictionishighlydetrimental to all of society on manylevels and contributes to crime, poverty, and poorer public health

11. How itcompares to SSLP (SSLP prep) • For my SSLP, I worked in a L’Arche community in Jacksonville, FL • I lived in a house with 4 core members (people with mentaldisabilities) and 3 assistants • Therewere 5 totalhouses in my L’Arche community • Wehelped the core members with dailyroutines, activities, and community building • For the program, wealsohadrequiredreading, accompanied by writtenreflections and a finalpaper

12. SSLP (Con’t) • By participating in this SSLP, I learned how to immerse myself in a new environment • It taught me to be flexible and open-minded • Specifically to my SSLP placement, I learned to humble myself in service to others as well as appreciate the gifts that each person has to contribute • All human life is worthy of respect and love • These lessons helped to prepare me for the Shepherd Internship. With its immersion in poverty and demands to work with an impoverished demographic, flexibility and openness are key • I was ready to allow for change in my work and to accept that I was no different from any of the people I was working with

13. Povertystudiesenrichedmy way of thinking • In closing, the PovertyStudiesprogramopened 2 wonderfulsummerexperiencesthattaught me to keep an open mind and heart • Working with those with a seeminglack of agency (people with mentaldisabilities and the impoverished) gave me a new perspective with which to view the world aswellasrenewedhope • People all share a common humanity and deserverespect, love, and goodquality of life • I hope to moveforward in my life with this mantra in mind, carryingitintomyprofession with day-to-daymindfulness